Photo Essay Number One: The Devil’s to Pay
Posted to the Project on 13 Jun 08
I have featured a few pictures I took on my last trip to Gettysburg here on the blog already. However, I’ve decided to showcase everal more pictures from around the battlefield in photo essay format because my photographs seem to be the most popular posts (if my stat counter can be trusted). Plus, you know what they say … a picture is worth a thousand words.
These photo essays all feature pictures taken in June 2008 — so they are very recent pictures of the battlefield.
Today’s featured photo essay is the monuments to Generals John Buford and John Reynolds. These monuments are located on U.S. 30 (the Chambersburg Pike) west of the town of Gettysburg. Because the memorials face to the west, these monuments are best photographed late in the day. For people like me who live in Ohio and come in via US 30 through Breezewood, McConellsburg, and Chambersburg, these monuments are the first to greet us each time we visit Gettysburg.
The Reynolds monument is my favorite monument on the battlefield. I love how the sculptor captured both Reynolds determination as well as the fire of his mount. As an experienced horseman, I think Reynolds would appreciate the gorgeous Arabian mount that sculptor Henry Kirke-Bush Brown placed him upon.
The monument to Buford depicts a no-nonsense, diligent commander. I think it’s a perfect memorial to the calvary commander. Although Buford was not killed at Gettysburg, he died of disease in December 1863. Thus both of the men featured here in bronze died before their time.